Is Mankind Born Evil....or Good?

by Farkel 119 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • Undecided
    Undecided

    I think we are like we are because of three things, genes, environment, and chemical balance in the brain. All three have good or bad affects on our "heart" depending on the definition of what is good or bad in the society we live in.

    I brought up the subject of what makes us what we are(our heart as the bible describes it) when the DO and a local elder visited me. I mentioned that if our chemical balance in the brain got corrupted we could do evil things. The DO agreed, he had a son who had to take pills to function normally. The point I was trying to make was how can we judge someones heart if they don't have complete control of it?

    Another question I have is, do different races of people have a tendency to have a certain personality like certain breeds of dogs? Since they breed with the same people for centuries and develope bodily traits, would they not also develope personality traits?

    My mind just won't stop making questions, I wish it would make more answers.

    Ken P.

    PS: Sorry Farkel, I forgot to answer what I think about man being bad or good. I think man is good if left to his own will. Only when he is corrupted by the influence of some selfish leader(religious,family, or political) does he become bad.(Of course that brings up another question, what makes the leader bad?)

  • gumby
    gumby

    Ken,

    I brought up the subject of what makes us what we are(our heart as the bible describes it) when the DO and a local elder visited me.. The point I was trying to make was how can we judge someones heart if they don't have complete control of it?

    The watchtower idea of this was similar to the Egyptians. They believed the heart had the soul. They removed the brain at death and left the heart. Anyway...heart or brain, I see your point and it is a good one. Nobody knows the mind of a person and why they tick the way they do whether good or bad.

    Another question I have is, do different races of people have a tendency to have a certain personality like certain breeds of dogs? Since they breed with the same people for centuries and develope bodily traits, would they not also develope personality traits?

    LOL,

    All I know is......in a boxing match bet....I always take the black guy for the winner. I don't really know if races have personality traits that differ from others. I do know they have various abilities......such as the one I mentioned < Joe Louis

  • Satanus
    Satanus
    do different races of people have a tendency to have a certain personality like certain breeds of dogs? Since they breed with the same people for centuries and develope bodily traits, would they not also develope personality traits?

    In a word, yes. Don't let marxist political correctness prevent you from studying this in light of history and current affairs. It's interesting.

    SS

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee
    Since they breed with the same people for centuries and develope bodily traits, would they not also develope personality traits?

    Care to elaborate?

  • gumby
    gumby
    Care to elaborate?

    LL,

    Quit being so horny!

    Gumby

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    Farkel Here is the problem! Which question are you trying to answer? Is Mankind Born Evil....or Good? Or Are we born inclined more towards "bad" or inclined more towards "good?" These are two different questions. If you are asking about our inclination or "tendency", that can indeed be influenced by many factors. For example, we can take an evil person and put him in jail, or restrain him completely, so that he can't move, speak or do anything bad. This will not make him "good". Evil people can be coerced or threatened into doing good deeds, this will not make them "good". So the number of deeds (be they good or bad) has no relevance in answering the first question "Is Mankind Born Evil....or Good?". The same for inclination or "tendency". Sorry! Man does evil, because he is evil! He is not evil, because he does evil. This is the historic Christian view taught in the bible. The J dubs teach that if you stop someone from doing bad, that will make them good. That is why they feel free to coerce or threaten people. I hope this helps. D Dog

  • Phantom Stranger
    Phantom Stranger

    Helps? I got so lost reading that, afterwards I had to dribble on my chin to figure out which way was up!

    "Man does evil, because he is evil! He is not evil, because he does evil. This is the historic Christian view taught in the bible."

    Huh? I don't get it...

  • Deputy Dog
    Deputy Dog

    Phantom

    Are we evil because we do bad things? Or, do we do bad things because we are evil? What is the cause and effect?

    D Dog

  • JH
    JH

    Mankind is born nor good nor evil, but as a sinner.

    *says the bible*

    And no matter what you do you will always be a sinner.

    So I guess that we are evil after all.

  • Phantom Stranger
    Phantom Stranger

    OK, Dawg, still not clear on which of those you were saying was the Bible view...but:

    "It's the "tendency" to be either good or not good from birth that I'm interested in debating."

    This is from the original post - and I'm still not clear on your position on it, I'm afraid - although you brought up a parallel question, I don't get your response to this one yet.

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